The Deccan Herald, 27th August 2021 I am surrounded by mute spectators at home. Their religion is silence. The refrigerator, for example, hums so softly that I have to strain my ear to hear it. The fridge may be frigid, but when I open its door, the light inside sits lightly on my eyes. The… Continue reading MUTE SPECTATORS
Posts
THE JOY OF DANCING IN THE RAIN
The Deccan Herald, 17th July 21 It started slowly, with a few drops. Drop... drop... drop. Then suddenly the drops came in a wave, like corona virus, to sweep away all the dirt. But we were safe from the rain inside the market building. We had just finished shopping and paid the cashier when the… Continue reading THE JOY OF DANCING IN THE RAIN
WALKING IN THE PARK AMID COVID-19
The Deccan Herald, 28th May 2021 The local park is a vibrant place in the morning, in spite of the coronavirus scare. ‘Maintain social distancing,’ a board at the entrance gently reminds the walkers patronising the park. A more apt command would seem to be ‘let’s come closer.’ The fact is, one can hardly walk… Continue reading WALKING IN THE PARK AMID COVID-19
MANKIND AT CROSSROADS
The Deccan Herald, 20 August 2020 On a clear day, you can see forever! Bereft of the haze of man-made pollution, what a clear view the Himalayas present before us in their pristine glory! Suddenly flamingos are thronging in their thousands in Navi Mumbai and peacocks are prancing on deserted roads and bridges instead of… Continue reading MANKIND AT CROSSROADS
A LOVE-NEST FOR PIGEONS
The Statesman, 4 February 2004 I noticed them after a couple of days of my moving into the flat on the ninth floor. When I opened the door to the balcony, I found a pair of pigeons reposing calmly on the railing. With their tails to me, they were surveying the sky above and the… Continue reading A LOVE-NEST FOR PIGEONS
FROZEN MELODY
The Statesman, 27 October 2003 Funny how the most unlikely object can transport one to a faraway world from the past, not physically but through an uncanny presence. It happened with me that, one day, tired of hearing the same, monotonous answering “tone” on my mobile phone, I wanted to change it to something else.… Continue reading FROZEN MELODY
MELLOW WAKEFULNESS
The Statesman, 31 August 2006 It is the sweetest alarm clock ever. The cuckoo in the tree next to my window may not be as minutely accurate as the cocksure cock when it comes to timing the break of dawn, but its soft cooing is any day preferable to the latter’s “rude awakening”. In fact,… Continue reading MELLOW WAKEFULNESS
STEPPING STONE TO HEAVEN
When my father passed away, my younger brother and I travelled to Shanti Kunj near Haridwar to immerse his ashes in the Ganga. On my earlier visit to Haridwar, that holiest of holy places, I had been mesmerised by the evening Ganga aarti at the Har ki Pauri Ghat (literally meaning the Lord’s Steps). As… Continue reading STEPPING STONE TO HEAVEN